Drought Dispatch: Two San Francisco bars offer discounts for drinks that don’t use ice

Some San Francisco bars are trying to use less ice. Photo: Eric Luse/The Chronicle

Two San Francisco bars are doing their part to raise awareness about California’s historic drought — and save a little water in the process.

SoMa’s Wish Bar and the Mission’s Bond Bar are both offering a dollar discount for all drinks that do not use any ice. It’s a small incentive, but the discount applies to any ice-free drink, be it beer, wine, shots or neat whiskeys.

The move comes in the wake of sweeping water regulations passed by California earlier this month, which included a new provisions that states that restaurants and bars are only permitted to serve water upon request.

Owner Andrea Minoo says she is doing her part as a bar owner. Nearly all cocktails require a fair amount of ice to make, and it’s no secret that bars go through a lot of ice on a nightly basis. According to some industry studies, cocktail bars use twice as much ice per person as a restaurant does, with an average of three pounds of ice needed per seat. In other words, if a 100 people visit a bar in a night, that bar needs 300 pounds of ice.

Save California; drink Fernet.

Readers, what other drought conversation measures have you seen around Bay Area bars and restaurants? Let us know.